College

Women’s college basketball believes it has the makings for a hit reality TV show. Those engaged in the sport hope to give network execs another glimpse this weekend of why they need to ante up during March Madness. The TV contract is up next summer and the NCAA is expected to decide by the fall if the women’s tournament will become a separate entity or continue to be bundled with all the other championships excluding men’s basketball and football.

Ryan Nembhard was injured and watched from the bench during Creighton’s two-game stay in last year’s NCAA Tournament. The point guard is front and center for the sixth-seeded Bluejays this year after having just played the game of his life to lead them into the Sweet 16. Nembhard scored a career-high 30 points in an 85-76 win over third-seeded Baylor in Denver on Sunday. 

Kirsten Simms scored a goal and Cami Kronish had 31 saves to help Wisconsin beat top-seeded and defending NCAA champion Ohio State 1-0, earning the Badgers their record seventh national title. Simms hid behind Ohio State’s Lauren Bernard in front of the net a flicked a wrister into the net to give Wisconsin a 1-0 lead at 13:28 of the first period. Wisconsin has won three of the last four national championships. Kronish, who had 37 saves in the Badgers’ 3-2 overtime win over No. 2 seed Minnesota in the semifinals, was named the Frozen Four’s most outstanding player. Ohio State, which went into the game having scored multiple goals in every game but one this season, was shut out for the first time in 57 games.

Kansas’ national title defense ended in the second round of NCAA Tournament when Arkansas’ Ricky Council IV made five free throws in the closing seconds and the eighth-seeded Razorbacks beat the No. 1 seed Jayhawks 72-71. Davonte Davis scored 25 points and Council added 21 as Arkansas rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit. Plus more March Madness action from Saturday.

Purdue’s Matt Ramos ended Iowa star Spencer Lee’s chase for four national titles with a pin in the closing seconds of their semifinal match on Friday night. That will leave Cornell’s Yianni Diakomihalis as the only wrestler still in contention for a fourth Division I title on Saturday. He defeated Penn State’s Shayne Van Ness 8-3 in his semifinal match at 149 pounds.

ORLANDO, Fla. — JP Pegues made a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds remaining and No. 13 seed Furman completed a rally from a 12-point second-half deficit to hand fourth-seeded Virginia another first-round NCAA Tournament loss, 68-67 on Thursday.

Tyler Kolek and David Joplin each scored 17 points, and No. 6 Marquette moved into the Big East championship game for the first time by holding off No. 11 UConn 70-68. UConn had a chance to tie or win in the final seconds, but coach Dan Hurley elected not to call a timeout. Jordan Hawkins missed badly on a contested, desperation 3 at the buzzer. Plus more action from around college basketball on Friday.